David Harbor hasn’t had a very good month. But attendees at Netflix’s season 5 and final season premiere event of “Stranger Things” held in Los Angeles on Nov. 6 may not have noticed.
Harbor was all smiles on the red carpet, especially as she playfully hugged co-star Millie Bobby Brown and took selfies with fans. The two arrived at events together and even exchanged compliments during interviews on the carpet. Brown told Entertainment Tonight: “I obviously have a really special bond with David because we have a father-daughter relationship, and we do every scene together… It’s very special for me to have him on the journey with me.” When Harbor spoke to ET, the only outlet he spoke to, he said of Brown: “I adore her and am so proud to see them all grow and become amazing artists…This particular project was so special and we got to know each other so deeply.”
If the two seemed too friendly on Thursday, maybe that was the point. The premiere event came just days after Britain’s Daily Mail reported on Nov. 1 that Brown had filed a bullying and harassment complaint against Harbor before production on Season 5 began. Neither star would comment on the story, and Harbor limited his interaction with the press at the premiere.
News of Brown’s complaint against Harbor threatens to overshadow coverage of the final season of “Stranger Things.” However, sources say Harbor was not expected to participate in the show’s press junket due to her busy filming schedule even before the recent news broke. (His next year’s projects include HBO’s “DTF St. Louis,” starring Jason Bateman and Linda Cardellini, and Marvel’s “Avengers: Doomsday,” set for release in December 2026.)
PR experts suggested to Variety that the red carpet choreography and the appearance of the entire cast on stage at the TCL Chinese Theater before the first episode was meant to send a message that the cast is united and that this show is bigger than anyone. “The goal in these situations is to not make things worse,” said one crisis communications executive.
Instead, Netflix focused on images of Harbor and Brown frolicking on the carpet and posted videos of the two greeting fans. Brown’s fashion brand Florence by Mills liked the video, posting heart emojis, but many of the comments from fans on the post suggested they didn’t think the reported drama between the two stars was too much of a fuss. Photos taken at the party also show the two of them getting along well.
Sources familiar with the situation confirmed to Variety that Brown’s charges were investigated and resolved. As father and daughter and comrades on the show, Brown and Harbor shared multiple scenes in Season 5 of Stranger Things, including one observed by a Variety reporter during a day-long visit to the set in July 2024.
Representatives for Mr. Brown, Mr. Haber and Netflix did not respond to requests for comment. On the carpet, the show’s creative leaders, creators Matt and Ross Duffer, and executive producer Shawn Levy, were asked about the complaints directly by The Hollywood Reporter. They declined to talk about the actors by name, but spoke about the importance of making the cast feel safe in the show’s “family” atmosphere.
“I read a lot of articles and they range from very inaccurate to very much background noise,” Levy told the outlet. “But the truth is, we see this crew and cast as a family, and we treat each other with respect, and that’s always been the foundation.” Ross Duffer said, “We’ve been working with this cast for 10 years, and at this point, they’re family and we care deeply about them, so there’s nothing more important than creating a set where everyone feels safe and happy.”
In the first four seasons of Stranger Things, Brown’s Eleven (who appeared in Season 1 as a quiet pre-teen with extraordinary telekinetic abilities) and Harbor’s Hopper (who appeared as a burnt-out police chief in Hawkins, Indiana) form a surrogate father-daughter bond. In Seasons 2 and 3, Eleven and Hopper experience some friction due to Hopper’s overprotective concern for Eleven’s safety. By season 4, the characters operate in completely separate storylines and do not share a scene until the final minutes of the season finale.
The Daily Mail’s report was sourced from a “friend” of Mr. Haber’s ex-wife, Lily Allen. It’s worth noting that Brown’s indictment was announced amidst the spotlight surrounding Harbor’s divorce from singer-songwriter Allen, whose new album West End Girl delves into Harbor’s alleged infidelity, as in the song “Pussy Palace.” In his review for Variety magazine, Chris Willman said the album was a “divorce record with a capital D” and that Allen and Harbor “separated after five years of marriage. It clearly began as a fairytale romance for her and ended in devastation sprinkled throughout the album’s songs.”
